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U South Carolina To Duplicate Degree Programs Online

By Dian Schaffhauser

12/06/12

The University of South Carolina (USC) will be moving undergraduate and graduate programs online in an attempt to improve access for students. To help with the move, the university has enlisted the help of Academic Partnerships, a company that specializes in working with colleges and universities on converting their traditional academic programs to online versions and then providing marketing, recruiting, and student retention services to help those degree programs succeed. The new offerings will be created in collaboration with faculty from across the university system, which includes four four-year institutions and four two-year campuses.

One of the first degree programs to be moved online is the master's in engineering management. "Bringing our courses online is one of the many ways to cultivate the next generation of thinkers and meet the growing demand for engineers," said Michael Sutton, a professor of mechanical engineering. "I am thrilled with this latest wave of innovation at USC, which continues to push the envelope."

Academic Partnerships will also assist U South Carolina with creation of courses for Palmetto College, the university's new online, baccalaureate degree completion program, which is scheduled to start in fall 2013. Palmetto is intended for state residents who have finished 60 hours of course work to complete a degree in several fields, including business, criminal justice, education, or nursing.

"Academic Partnerships works only with public universities and possesses valuable expertise that will assist USC in the preparation and implementation of high-quality, state-of-the-art online programs delivered at affordable prices through the new Palmetto College and select graduate programs," noted Michael Amiridis, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.